How to find the right camper van in NZ – and our first trip!

After months of searching we finally found our camper van that will take us around New Zealand for the next 4 months (September till December 2019).

Meet Susanna Ford

About our new van

Susanna is a Ford Econovan, 1996, manual and came with:

• solar panels (and a spare panel)
• a power inverter – runs from the van's battery and turns the Directs Current (DC) power into standard, Alternating Current (AC) so you can charge devices
• electric sink
• surround sound speakers
• electric fans
• several USB ports
• a portable loo
• a bed (with plenty of storage underneath)
• 50L Brass Monkey fridge.

Inside Susanna Ford

What it means to be self-contained

Susanna is also self-contained which means we get to camp pretty much anywhere in NZ (that's marked as a self-contained campsite).

To be self-contained you need certain things, such as a portable loo and a drainage system so you're not spreading your waste all over the place – nice.

Check out how to get a certified self-containment certificate.

Perks of being self-contained are:

• it will save you money as all self-contained campsites are free
• you have more choices in where you can camp
• the campsites are usually in really good spots – for example, by the coast.

Some of her luxurious features:

Power inverter – good for when the sun's got its hat on

Plenty of USB ports around the van

Getting the right van for you

We had the luxury of time on our side when we were looking for our camper, but also had the downside of looking for one in Wellington.

We didn't actually take any of the advice below, however, we struggled big time to find 'the one' – so it would have been easier if we did some of the following:

Look North or South, not the middle

Many travellers tend to sell their campers up north in Auckland or down south in Queenstown or Auckland as they usually travel from top to bottom, or visa versa, and want a quick sell before going home. Wellington is in the centre so as you can imagine not many people want to sell their campers halfway through a trip.

Best places for vans are Christchurch, Queenstown and Auckland.

Pick the right season

In summer (December to February) you'll find the prices for campers are a lot dearer as many people want to travel during these month for obvious reasons. In winter, you might find campers are few and far between – saying that, with some patience you can get lucky like us.

Where we searched online

We signed up to a load of Facebook groups, such as Vans/ Campervans Buy Sell & Swap NZ, and also used the Facebook marketplace to search for new vans in our area.

We also used TrademeNZ (where we found our lassy) and the Backpackerboard.

What to ask when seeing a van

Although you want to trust everything the advert and the person selling the van says, you can't always be sure what you're buying is legit and in good nick.

A few things to ask for:

• previous WOF papers
• any documents relating to the van – past work done

If you're serious about the van, you should either book it in at VNZ for a pre-purchase check or if its WOF is due, you may as well get the WOF done at a garage. If you're going to do that I'd recommend Brendon Motors – they've never failed us and don't rip you off like some garages.

Also, take it for a spin and see how it feels. Old vans will feel clunky, that's a given. You've got to remember that most campers will be old as you. As most vehicles are imported here and have done the miles – so they're not going to be squeaky clean perfect.

How much we paid

We ended up paying $7,600 for our van – original asking price was $8,000 but we got him down due to some work that needed to be done to it. I would say that's a pretty decent price for a good van, any lower it might not be as good a quality, any higher would be too much for what it is.

There's always room for a bit of bartering. People usually go a grand more than what they paid and are willing to go down a bit – so get your Del Boy swagger on and get a few bob taken off.

Our first day and night in the van

We took old Susanna out for her first trip up the Kapiti Coast last weekend.

Stunning sunset over Raumati Beach.

Some of the things we learned about #vanlife

We soon learned that the power inverter wouldn't charge the plug-in heater when the van wasn't on, as it takes all the power from it. Next time, we'll run the heater as we drive to save electricity.

The solar panels worked like a dream. They continuously charge throughout the day (if it's sunny) and most of our stuff runs off it, such as the fridge, electric sink, lights and the speakers. 

We actually charged our Brass Monkey fridge the night before just to reserve some of our power. It worked a treat. Even when it's off, it will retain the coldness hours.

We slept like babies on our thin memory foam single mattress. We also invested in a thick woollen duvet and nice cotton sheets, and boy oh boy, am I glad we did.

Overall, the van did its job and we couldn't be happier with her.

Chilling at Red Rocks after the long drive

The adventure begins...

We've just booked our first campsite in Martinborough in a powered site called Top 10 Holiday Park. It was $46 a night – we thought we'd splash out for our first night (and be near vineyards and pubs).

Go to Google Maps

We'll probably alternate between self-contained and powered sites throughout the trip, as well as the odd Air BnB to give Susanna a break now and then.